Why Low-Income Women in the US Still Need Automobiles

Abstract

Over time, automobile ownership in the US has increased. Yet low-income households remain less likely to have access to automobiles than higher-income households. Today, given the continued dispersion of US metropolitan areas and the growing number of jobs, as well as low-income families living in the suburbs, the evidence suggests that low-income women who do not have access to automobiles are increasingly disadvantaged. To engender greater economic and social sustainability, the evidence suggests that low-income women would benefit from policies to increase their access to automobiles.